§ Mr. David AtkinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health by what means his Department is monitoring the millennium compliance of the computer systems involved in the provision of care services by health authorities and trusts; and if he will make a statement on progress. [34806]
§ Mr. MilburnThe National Health Service Executive, through its regional offices, is closely monitoring the progress of health authorities and trusts on their millennium compliance work. An executive letter, EL(97)59 issued in October 1997 to all chief executives, set deadlines for completing stages of the compliance work against which performance is monitored.
Year 2000 projects are now fully underway in all NHS organisations and it is anticipated that all will complete detailed project plans, inventories of systems and resource plans by the second deadline of 31 March 1998.
§ Mr. David AtkinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he(a) has held and (b) plans to hold with the private health sector on the need for computer systems to be millennium compliant. [34805]
§ Mr. MilburnDiscussions on the millennium issue have been ongoing since November 1997 with one of the largest companies in the private health sector. It is hoped that these discussions will be broadened to include all major health sector companies in the near future.
614WIt is our policy to collaborate fully on the millennium problem with all organisations, both in the private and public sectors, where interests overlap and mutual benefit can be obtained.